Apparatus for carrying out the destructive hydrogenation of carbonaceous material



1,894,115 RUCTIVE Y ERIALS M PIER APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE DEST HYDROGENATION OF CARBONACEOUS MAT Filed Aug ll 1928 Qi m www Mw ORNEYSY Patented Jan. 10, l1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE m'rnIAs TIER, or' HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, AssIGNoE, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

STANDARD-I. G.- COMPANY`,-F LINDEN, NEW JERSEY, A

WARE

CORPORATION 0F DELA.-

APPAEATUs Eon. cAnnIfINeour THE DESTEUCTIVE HYDEOGENATION or cAnEoNAoEoUs MATERIAL .Application illed August 11, 1928, Serial No. 299,124, and in Germany August 30, 1927.

For carrying out reactions at high pressures and temperatures, especially in the presence of hydrogenor gases containing or supplying the same, it has already been proposed to employ apparatus constructed .of highly alloyed steels, or apparatus comprising an inner vessel of chemically reslstant materials, such as iron free from carbon, or silver and the like, and an outer shell adapted to stand pressure and provided with openings for the escape of hydrogen issuing from the inner vessel. i

I have now found that in the destructive hydrogenation of y carbonaceous `materials,

such as coals, tars, oils-andl the like, which process is described and claimed in the Ausv` tralian Patent No. 1217/26, the range of 4pressure and temperature hitherto employed maybe substantially increased by ,using j acketed apparatus, that is to say a double walled i apparatus, the outer wall of which, or the inner wall exposed to the chemical actio-n of thegasesor botho the said walls of. which f l' are constructed of chromium alloy steels.

i las Thefemployment of an outer vessel of chromium alloy steel has the advantage that the j duration lof service of the inner vessel is prolonged toa remarkable extent, and in particular even `at high pressures and very high temperatures. The use of chromium alloy steel for the inner vessel, exposed to chemical action gives the very substantial advanfV tage that the losses of gases, such as hydrogen Y by diffusion are extremely low'. The advantages of the said apparatusare still Vfurther increased-when both vessels are made of chromium alloy steels. Inasmuch as `the various parts of the apparatus can be easily detached and renewed and' only the inner vessel is subjected to considerable wear. and tear, a substantial reduction in running costs, having regard to the usually high price of chromium alloy steels,is eiiected compared with the casev of an apparatus'constructed wholly in one part.

It is of particular advantage if the chromium alloy steelsv employed are adapted as far as possible to suit the conditions imposed be made ofa chromium alloy .steel with high powers of resistance to chemical iniuences,

the amount required, in the arrangement v herein described, is reduced to a` minimum, a considerable saving is effec-ted, coupled with maximum strength. The outer shell may be closed, or may be provided wtith openings to permit the hydrogen, for example, diiusing through the inner vessel, to escape.

For example, the inner vessel, with high powers of chemical resistance, may consist of high grade chromium alloysteels, such as alloys of iron with chromium and nickel, chromium and vanadium or chromium and tungsten, or of a steel containing 20 per cent of chromium, 7 per cent of nickel and 0.25 per cent ofcarbon and the outer vessel, which has to `stand the pressure may consist of any other suitable material. Conversely, the outshell of -c romium alloy steel impervious to hydrogen, may also takethe form of a thin envelopewlchY after the manner, tosome extent, o-fa hydrogen proof coating, surrounds' the thicker pressure resistingV inner shell of ordinary material. In this case, although a corrosive contact occurs between the hot hydrogen and the inner iron shell,

diffusion through the inner shell is considerably retarded, so that this system has a far longer working life than one without an outer shell ofspecial steel. When bothv parts of the jacketed apparatus consist of chromium alloy steel, the herein specified special steels best adapted for the particular purposes, are used.

The accompanying drawing represents in a 'diagrammatic manner a vertical cross section of a destructive hydrogenation apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention.

On the drawing:

Reference numeral lirepresents a high presrsure reaction vessel composedof two Vconcentric realily separable shells, 20 and 21, the inner shell 20 being fermed of a chromium alloy steel resistant to attack "ey sulfur and hydrogen. The thickness of this shell is such that it is permeable to hydrogen under the i conditions prevailing in the reaction vessel when in use. The outer shell 21, has .materially thicker walls which are resistant to pressure. This shell may be composed of ordinary steel but preferably is made up of the same material as the inner shell20 in order to resist Eattack by the hydrogen passing through the inner shell. The walls of the outer shell 21 are preferably Yprovided with numerous openings 24 which permit escape of hydrogen diffusing through the thin inner shell. In "this way the hydrogen seeping through the inner shell is prevented from forcing theYYY two shells apart, which action would seriosly impair the vessel 1.

The open ends of the inner and outer shells 20 and 21 are closed by pressure resisting caps 25 and YY26, bolted to flange members 27 and 28, which surround .the ends of the outer shell. Preferably a heat insulating' medium 29 islocated between said caps and flange members. Y

Said ca s also serve to fasten the inner and :outer she 1s together, in a manner which they can be readily separated, as will be seen from a reference to the drawing. This re- Vsult is attained by bending or crim ing the 'ends of the inner shell over the en si of the Wouter shell, thecaps 25 and 26 then securely clampin the crimped ends of the inner` shell against t e ends of the outer sliell.

i Cap 25 at the lower end of the vessel is prov1ded with :In inlet pipe 22 by which the reacting materials, that is, hydrogen and carbonaceous materials are fed into the vessel 1, while cap 26, at the top ofthe vessel, is provided with an outlet pipe 23 for the removal of aseous products formed in the reaction.

z at I'elaim is: f

An apparatus for destructively hydrogenating dlstillable carbonaceous materials containing sulfur, with hydrogen, comprising a vessel com osed of two readily separable concentric she ls, the inner havingrelatively thin, hydrogen permeable walls of a chromium alloy steel resistant to attack by sulfur and hydrogen, the outer` having relatively thicker walls which possess a high resistance to pressure and which are also composed ofra chromium alloy steel resistant tohydrogen and sulfur attack, said outer wall having openings therein to'permit escape of the hydrogen diffusing through the'thin inner shell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. i v

i MATHIAS PIER. 

